Facade
by itzarazorblade
Summary: Harry is stronger than he thought. Draco's more similar to the Malfoy family than previously believed.


They spent their entire 7th year almost inseperable. Spare time was spent outside and in eachothers dorms. Admittedly, they may have moved a bit fast, but Harry wanted to wait to...yaknow... Said it was too impersonal in a dorm room, 10 other people five feet away, trying to keep quiet and hurry it up.

Draco didn't mind, he also didn't mind when he woke Harry up at ungodly times in the night because he had nightmares of his father being killed in front of him. Or how Harry paid for everything since he was cut off from the Malfoy money. He didn't mind how Harry cuddled him, playing with his hair and showering him with affectionate compliments, trying his damnedest to undo 17 years of verbal abuse and make the cocky facade real.

Draco's friends minded. They cared about how Draco would never sit and insult people with them, or practice dark arts. Or how he wasn't itnerested in casting nasty charms on the first years, because he was with Harry. Or he just didn't NEED to do such things anymore. They especially cared when he was seen on the other end of the feild. Behind strong brick and hiding charms made by the order, while they still did as their parents wished and stood weakly next to the dark lord and fought.

They said he changed, that Harry owned him. They said they didn't understand how Draco could stand being told what to do all the time by Harry. Especially since he didn't even put out.

They didn't understand Harry loved him more than they ever would. And when they said their mean little comments about Draco being gay, or becoming mor reserved this year because he finally had all the attention that he wanted from Harry, that Harry was the one he ran to crying.

And they would never-ever understand, how by saying those things, they made Draco think his downfalls were something to hold on to. Or that it was their fault when Draco would lash out at Harry, sharp like his father, and uncaring like his mother.

It broke Harry's heart when he saw Draco revert back to "Malfoy", slowly killing the person he had grown to know and love as "sweet" or "beautiful". Admittedly, Harry was not amazing at pet names.

The one thing no-one truly understood, was the number of problems Harry had been left with after the war. The constant paranoia, the panic attacks, the constant fear of being left alone which drove him to obsess over every actin Draco made, and how healthy the action was. His constant need to move forward. Improve on the weak person he once was, leave that person behind, change, and have Draco make these life altering changes at the same time. While still keeping everything about eachother they held so dear, and lvoed.

It was no suprise when the arguments became more frequent. Draco tired of trying to rush, head first, into the adult person Harry wanted. Harry tired of what he saw as babying Draco. Constantly reminding him to do what is right and move foreward.

A few monthes shy of their year anniversary, and their graduation, they broke up. Through owls. Just as impersonal and business like as their relationship has become. It lasted, maybe an hour, as Harry walked past his own reflection and didn't recognize who he'd become, or who this man was. Standing all alone with no companion.

Monthes later, a year arrived. Harry insisted on rings. It would've been a suprise, but that hints he dropped hadn't sunken in, and he didn't want to be the only one giving something and make the toehr boy feel bad.

The fights became more and more often, more viscious. At some point, Harry realized he stopped letting the little things go. Those parts of Draco that Draco hadn't changed. His words more often than not were venom dipped and sharp. Not understanding "Why?". After a whole year of him bending over backwards for the boy, could he not stuff his own feelings down and just CHANGE for Harry? All the other changes he had made were good ones. These would be as well!

Harry found himself needing the boy less and less, as he was forced to turn to other firends when he realized all this stressed revolved around Draco, and his lack of change. The happy moments now serrated by constant arguments. Why not this, do that, stop this. Blame flying like Avada's in the war.

Two days before graduation, Harry walked into Draco's dorm. The boy didn't move or acknowledge Harry in any way. Which at first Harry would've taken as a sign that he was very comfortable around him. But now it just solidified the fact that Draco no longer cared whether or not Harry was there.

He walked up to Draco, nose still and forever embedded in some dark arts book, slipped off his ring. And set it on Draco's night stand. As he left, he heard shuffling, a book closing. And as he turned around to close the door, he saw Draco look at the ring on his table then remove his own and place it next to Harrys'. Lie back down on his bed, open his book, and continue reading. And as Harry walked down the hall, leaving the slytherin dorms, he realized... The person he loved, who he couldn't live without, who made his whole life make sense, who made all those possitive changes. The one who would always listen to Harry when he spoke, no matter how silly the topic. Never-existed. Except within himself.

And as he left on the last day of school, no goodbye's or anything. He knew how strong Draco really was, and that he never needed Harry either.


End file.
